Banning Order for Football Fan


Loftus Road spectator "gave Nazi salute"

A football fan who shoved a police officer before giving several Nazi salutes to officers at Wood Lane station in November will not see another football match for three years after British Transport Police (BTP) officers secured a football banning order against him.

Barrie Jones (48), of Glamorgan, Wales, was handed the ban after pleading guilty to racially aggravated harassment.

The ban means that Jones, a Cardiff City fan, cannot attend any football match in London or the rest of England and Wales until January 2012.

Under the terms of the football banning order, issued by West London Magistrates’ Court on Friday 9 January, Jones is prohibited from entering any stadium in England or Wales where a football match is taking place.

Jones can also be required to surrender his passport when Cardiff City or the Welsh national team are playing abroad.

If Jones is found in breach of his order he faces up to six months in jail and/or a maximum fine of £5000.

PC Thomas Treacy, of BTP’s Football Intelligence Unit, said: "Jones was part of a large group of Cardiff fans travelling to the Queens Park Rangers versus Cardiff City football match at Loftus Road on Saturday 8 November.

"QPR won the game 1-0 but Jones spent the game in a police cell after he was arrested for shoving a police officer and giving Nazi salutes at Wood Lane before the match."

Jones was charged with racially aggravated threatening behaviour later that evening.

PC Treacy added: "The majority of football fans are law-abiding citizens but there is, however, nearly always a minority who seem determined to spoil a good day of sport and who, by virtue of their behaviour, bring the game and the notion of being a supporter into disrepute.

"Our message to football fans is to enjoy yourself but be respectful of others because we will not tolerate abusive or violent behaviour on the railway.

Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer of London Underground said: "Millions of passengers from all walks of life, travel on our Tube network everyday and Jones’s behaviour was not only aggressive to a BTP officer but extremely offensive to his fellow travellers."

 

15 January 2009